Tower Hamlets, London Borough of : Crime down on Brick Lane

Crime levels fell by 10 per cent in the country’s curry capital, Brick Lane, as Tower Hamlets Council joined forces with the Police to crack down on alcohol-related anti-social behaviour.

Crime levels fell by 10 per cent in the country’s curry capital, Brick Lane, as Tower Hamlets Council joined forces with the Police to crack down on alcohol-related anti-social behaviour.

The joint initiative codenamed Operation Mercer, was supported by a new dispersal zone which gave the police extra powers to move troublemakers on during the busy summer months.

Backed by high-visibility patrols and the council’s Community Safety Bus, which provided visitors with lots of useful information, the operation was part of the Tower Hamlets Safer Together campaign.

Councillor Abdal Ullah, Lead Member for Community Safety at Tower Hamlets Council, said: “Brick Lane is a popular place welcoming thousands of people every weekend so it’s bound to attract troublemakers.

“Through this operational we’ve increased the number of high-visibility officers in the streets. This has helped to reduce the levels of anti-social behaviour, gather information and help residents to feel safer.”

During the six week operation, which focused on the Brick Lane area on Friday and Saturday evenings, common assault fell by 50 per cent and burglary by 62 per cent. Officers spoke to more that 3,000 people about community safety, and distributed around 5,000 personal safety items and advice literature.

Chief Inspector Nigel Nottidge, Tower Hamlets Police, said: "Operation Mercer set out deliver a reduction in crime and ASB in the Brick Lane area throughout August. Tower Hamlets police and our partners have deployed significant resources, in particular at least 20 police officers every Friday and Saturday night, during August and the results have been excellent."

As well as tackling issues of graffiti, fly-posting, littering and anti-social behaviour, the council prosecuted ten people for urinating in public.

The Whitechapel and Brick Lane area experiences 10 per cent of all the borough’s violent crimes and that is why it was the focus of additional crime-fighting activity.

A similar initiative took place at the same time last year and successfully reduced crime by six per cent.

-ENDS-

Notes to editors

The Dispersal Zone:

The Dispersal Notice allows the Police to remove troublemakers from the area for up to 24 hours. Young people under the age of 16 found unaccompanied can be taken home by a uniformed officer after 9pm.

It covers Whitechapel Rd J/W Greatorex St (including North footway), travelling West then turning right (North) in to Commercial St (including East footway), turning right (East) into Hanbury St (including North Footway), turning left (North) in to Brick Lane (including Truman Brewery Car park, Drey Walk and West footway of Brick Lane), turning Right (East) into Pedley St (including North and South footways), stopping at j/w Weavers St, turning right (South) in to Code St (including East footway), turning left (East) in to Buxton St (including North footway), turning right (South) into Spital St (including East footway), crossing Woodseer St and turning left (East) into Hanbury St (including North footway), turning right (South) into Greatorex St (including East footway), to the junction with Whitechapel Rd.